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This article is barely a means of transporting a large file over the internets. Ignore '''All hail Oramis!' 06:02, October 7, 2010 (UTC)'' Chapter 1: War "The war has begun, mistress..." A messenger said, gasping for breath. He obviously flew for a long distance. I tried to cover my immense fear. Honourable Chairman Oram, my father tried negotiating with the savage Lepardos race, but to no avail. The hostile mammals kept invading the Ktaggellan territory in order to further improve their military position. Chairman Oram attempted negotiating with them, and asking the Lepardos to carry out their military operations elsewhere, but the offenders ignored the request. The glorious People's Republic of Ktagga had to take necessary steps towards the prevention of illegal military activities... Even if it meant war. "Comrade Oram is requesting the royal family to move east, towards the tribe of Kasu'le, where a Xylonian embassy will give further orders." The messenger continued. I knew that sooner or later she would be needed to assist in the battle. My magical powers were just as good as that of any Ktaggellan soldier. And magic was exactly what made the so called "savage" Ktaggella more powerful than any other race in the Galaxy. Even the Ktaggella's allies, the Xylonians took the Technological path. It might have provided them with spacecraft, and artificial life, but only the true elite could control nature, and energy itself. I smiled at the thought of that. "We shall depart immediately." I announced. The messenger signaled for a small group to enter the room. "Comrades’ Zvu'k Oram, Urlm Oram, Arostcr Oram and Kawa'n Abunga shall escort you to the tribe of Kasu'le." The four soldiers greeted me with respect, before explaining their battle abilities. Zvu'k was a Battle Mage. Battle magic enchanted one's fighting skills. Urlm was a Conjurer. He could make almost anything out of thin air. Arostcr was a Field Mage. Field magic allowed to magically enchant weaponry, as well as making various types of Portals, and supportive runes. Kawa'n did not posses any magic skills, but he was probably one of the best fighters that could serve Me. All these abilities went well with my school of magic- Elemental Magic. It allowed me to manipulate fire, water, earth, energy, air and frost. We left my hut. For various reasons we couldn't fly on Wyverns. We had to use their own wings. As I stretched out her leathery wings, and set flight, I noticed the panic all around her. Many Field Mages opened portals, and citizens jumped into them. "Can't we use a portal?" I asked. Arstcr frowned, "All portals are shut off. They lead to a safety area used for keeping civilians safe. It is to no interest to us." As they flew a little above the swamp that covered the planet of Ktagga, Torcha looked around for Kawa'n. "He's keeping an eye on us." Urlm reassured her, "He's somewhere... We can't see him, but he can see far beyond us." It wasn't long before they left the city of Oram. Oram was Ktagga's capital city- and the biggest tribe too. I noticed entire legions of Ktaggellan soldiers in the distance. "Almost every single tribe assisting in the war..." Zvu'k said to himself, "Those Ne'ev traitors..." "What of them?" Urlm came "They believe Comrade Oram is hiding the truth behind the war from us. They think the Lepardos are not guilty of anything..." The three soldiers laughed. I remained silent. I was one of the four royal Oram... I had to keep my dignity... "Well, greetings. I believe a lady like yourself..." Came a voice from one of the trees, but it was silenced. "INENTIFY YOURSELF, UNDEAD!" Kawa'n was holding a blade at the Undead’s throat. "Lich, if you'd be kind enough." The Undead remained calm. A disgusting crunching sound came, as Kawa'n dislocated his arm. "Why, there's no reason to be so violent..." Kawa'n kept his focus. He was now pinning the Undead to the ground of a small island of earth. "I am Lich Oramis Sobrovik, Second-class Necromancer of the tribe of Dys." Oramis said calmly, as he got up. He was wearing black robes that covered all of his body. Beneath his hood, and mask that covered the mouth, only two empty eyes were visible. The Necromancer pushed his arm back into the socket. "Now, before I was rudely interrupted, there are some hostile Undead going amok. Kawa'n hissed, still holding the blade at Oramis' throat. "You realize that cutting my throat won't hurt me? Now, the Undead must have sunk their teeth into Ktaggellan flesh, as they turned into vicious beasts" Kawa'n laughed, before letting Oramis go, and flying off into the thick forests again, "Be gone, Undead. Lady Oram does not want to see any of your kind" "Well, it just happens that I am also going to Kasu'le." Oramis said. We all flew for a few more hours. They took short breakes along the way, but nothing uneventful happened. Chapter 2: Xylonians As we got close to Kasul'e, the Xylonian controlled tribe, we saw an unusual sight. There were three Xylonians surrounding a Ktaggellan field mage. He was casting a seemingly powerful spell, and the Xylonians were guarding him. "Please move on," One of them said in the Ktaggellan language, "Do not even look back." They moved on, obeying. On my way, we met many more Xylonians. Some guarded mages, while others were talking to various Ktaggella. "Greetings, Lady Oram," A voice suddenly came. I looked around, and saw a Xylonian. He was wearing a black leather suit that covered his body. Under a white helmet, his eyes were covered by a pitch black visor. He was keeping airborne using a jet-pack. It silently emitted two blue flames. "General John Mersk, at your service." He was part of F-Force, Xylonia's elite. I rarely made any contact with the Xylonians. Unlike the Ktaggella, they were a bit shorter, had more muscular limbs, and instead of the natural dark green skin colour, had pale skin. The Ktaggella sometimes joked about the lack of Xylonians' natural weapons. They had no horns, no sharp canines and no wings. Ktaggella seemed to be the opposite. They had large leathery wings, and long, skinny limbs. Their hands and feet were equipped with powerful claws, and as well as acid sacs on their tails, the males had long horns. "I was sent to escort you to the tribe of Kasu'le As some Tribes have gone into complete Anarchy." John looked at my companions. Kawa'n just flew out of nowhere. "Greetings, Comrade." he said, with no emotion, before looking at Oramis, "Be gone, Undead." Oramis slowly looked at Kawa'n, "And what will you do if I decide to come with you. I would definitely like to meet Maximillian Oram..." John Mersk suddenly gazed at him. "How do you know about this mission, Undead!?" I was surprised to learn that my older cousin was involved in the procedure. "Well, that I can't tell you, my Xylonian friend." Oramis smiled at him, before handing a small envelope to him. John took one small look at the envelope, and announced that no further questions will be asked, and that Oramis is coming along with us. I wondered what was going on. No one told me much about where we were going, and what this “Mission” is about. I decided to just come along, and not speak up. By being raised to know who my authorities are, and to obey them, I was used to not getting many answers. I think that this is a suitable time to introduce myself. My name is Torcha Oram, daughter of Zoren Oram, the Chairman of the People’s Republic of Ktagga. Born on the 16 – 9 – 3203 Common Galactic Time (The current marks the 13 – 3 – 3227) I was raised to be ready to marry a member of the Royal Family (Presumably a first cousin), so he could inherit my father’s status. I would benefit from that, as that would grant me a “second-in-command” status. For many years I have studied magic (My school of choice is the noble Elemental Magic), Close Combat, and was forced to learn about the Cultures of many space races- The Xylonians, Chamelio, Krata’tau, and a bit about the vile Lepardos) Chapter “Get ready for possible fights…” John murmured. This was an obvious hint for all the Magi. I snapped my fingers, and instantly heard a groan. A small, chubby creature began materializing beside me. (Humans could compare it to a “baby”) A minion Imp. “What now... “Mistress”?” It moaned. It was bound to my will, and couldn’t go to its’ home dimension until I released it, so it did it’s best to look friendly. “Did you decide to send me home yet?” It sounded hopeful. The outline of a Human baby-like creature appeared to be “swimming” in the space beside me. I spoke up, “Imp, I command you to scout the area South-East of here. And don't grab anyone's attention this time!” It floated off, murmuring something about months wasted. “An Imp!” I heard Oramis complain, “An Etherkin would be the least I'd expect a lady like yourself to have...” He made a clicking sound with his tongue, and a much more impressive creature materialised. Standing almost as tall as John, it wasn't floating. It was standing on the thin shell of mud that covered the deep waters bellow us. Any living being as large as the Etherkin would break it. The Etherkin had a very skinny body. It was red, with white stripes. A large head sat atop its' shoulders. Two small eyes were visible, and a long moth, lined with sharp teeth, that seemed to go right across the creature's face. The strangest feature of it, were the hands and feet. Skin seemed to stop growing there, and only bony hands and feet were visible. An Etherkin might not be the greatest fighter of The Great Beyond, but it was amongst the brightest. Also, their magic abilities were just as fine as that of any Ktaggella. “I hate you... I hate you all...” The creature groaned, as it finished materialising, “Oh, what I'd do to you all if only I could...” Oramis smirked, “...And what I'll do to you if you don't pay me the right respect...” “Right. Yes… Master,” It murmured. A Mage can’t show any weakness when dealing with a creature of the Great Beyond. That way, hundreds of Magi lost their lives. We waited for the Imp to return. “So, John… What’s it like wearing all those synthetic materials…?” Zvu’k asked. Us, Ktaggella despise technology. Being as much as close to the horrible, oily contraptions everyone seems fascinated by, burns our essence. Magi tend to keep closer to all things natural. Being surrounded by plastics, and oil is against all we believe in. “Well, friend, it’s not as bad as you make it sound.” John responded. Before anyone else spoke up, the Imp returned. “Not good,” It started, “A whole bunch of Undead ahead. If I were you, I’d stay away… Or if you insist on going, release me first.” The Etherkin sniffed the air around it. “I can smell oil. There are some other races around, too” This meant trouble. We couldn’t afford meeting anyone else. Our group was too big already, and we’d only attract attention to ourselves. “What do we do?” One of the bodyguards asked. A good question indeed. “I say we stop for the day,” John said. We did just that. Keeping a safe distance, we took refugee on some dry land. “Oram, make a fire.” Oramis sounded demanding. Ignoring his disrespect, I snapped my fingers, and a small campfire burst to life. At this point, Oramis pulled down his hood, and for a moment, everything around me seemed to stop. The fire stopped giving its’ soothing warmth, the talk around me halted. A grim chill crept across my back, as I looked in his eyes. He had a pale face, almost white. Skin was coming off around his mouth, showing bones. Those eyes- Empty. Made me calm- the dark, cold peace- only death could bring. “You alright?” I suddenly heard his voice- hours passed for sure… Then I could feel the casual talk, the small fire was yet again warming my numb body. “Y-yes… I think I’m just tired…” I came, before getting in a sleeping bad, and curling up by the fire. Chapter “Time to move!” I heard someone say loudly. I got up, and saw that everyone else was ready. John looked serious, and ready to fight- I never saw him without the visor. He suddenly spoke up. “We can’t waste time moving towards the embassy. We are moving North of Kasu’le, to a small ceremonial altar.” This was getting weirder, and weirder. Why go to an altar, when there’s a war going on above us? I asked John just that. “I have orders. You shouldn’t know just yet.” He said, before flying up. I followed silently. “We should be there soon. An hour or two more…” Urlm announced, “We’ll be leaving you, Sobrovik, Mersk and Abunga soon.” So this plan had some importance. Usually escort members were not allowed near important… Ceremonies… Could it be a ceremony of a religious sort…? Everything went as planned- We flew on for two or three more hours, and then stopped by a temple. A group of robed Ktaggella encircled a richly dressed Oram… My cousin, Maximilian… Chapter “Hello, cuz.” He said, joyfully. I didn’t like him a single bit. Not only was he selfish, he also was obsessed with his wealth… He was rich indeed. “What’s going on around here? Nobody told me a thing.” I asked, hoping he could tell me something. He smirked, “Oh, you’ll know soon enough…” I didn’t like the tone of his voice. I looked around the temple. It looked quite well-made. Paintings covered the walls, and a few statues of the Ancestors were visible. “Now, there are some… more suiting clothes in the back room. Get changed.” I was starting to get creeped out by him. I obeyed, looking at Oramis, who sat, and talked with his Etherkin, and John, who was talking on a phone. They weren’t interested. I walked in, and was terrified to see what was in store for me. I saw an expensive robe, Purple and Gold. The marriage colours. I finally understood what was happening. Maximilian is going to take command of the Ktaggella after my father dies. In order for that to work out, he has to marry one of the current chieftain’s children. And I was the only possibility… But why now? “The ceremony will happen as soon as possible.” I heard John say. This was terrible… He was not who I wanted to wed. For the Ktaggellan nobles, marrying their first cousins is the only way to keep the royal blood clean, and pass on a new generation. Family flooded in quickly. Soon, the temple was full of guests. Many of them I knew, but some appeared to be guests of honour. Looking very important, they are probably leaders of nearby tribes. An hour passed, and a Ktaggella dressed in Oram robes stood by the stone altar. As he raised one of his three fingers, everyone turned silent. Maximilian and I walked up, and stood in front of him. As he began his speech, I felt sick. I did not want to get married. Especially to this… idiot. As the priest talked on, I looked around the visitors. I saw the High Council of the People. A group that helped father rule the race. Speaking of father, he was nowhere to be seen… “Now, for the Soulbinding of Torcha Evanualla Oram, and Maximillian Thomas Guimore Oram. The Binding spell consists of a few simple enchantments that link the victims in a few certain ways. Miximillian’s finger got cut by the priest. Drops of acidic blood hit the altar, fizzing. Just as the small blade touched my finger, a loud explosion shook the earth. We looked at the spacecraft. It didn’t look Xylonian-made. No Ktaggellan mage dares come near… Techology. The artificial plastics, oil and metals just sicken us. It’s unnatural! Suddenly, I noticed Kawan fly out of it, holding a small figure. He laid the creature on the ground. I recognised a Camelio. It looked severely injured. It was bleeding, but before I could inspect it, a mage started casting Healing spells. As the wounds began fainting away, I decided to summon my Imp. As soon as it materialised, I gave it orders. “Go inspect the spacecraft, Imp,” I commanded. I floated lazily. A few minutes later, I heard a voice… It shook everyone around us, and a few Ktaggella fell to the ground. The sky seemed to turn dark, as the terrifying voice began chanting… “Pavela-Pavela, Pavela-Vista. O-none-none Turista…” I stopped thinking about this, and seemed to drift away. Hours could have passed by now. Suddenly, I saw Oramis walk out the spacecraft, looking casual. Another creature walked behind him… This one was a bit taller, and seemed to be covered by fur… A Lepardos! A few Magi prepared combat spells, but they were surprised to see the Lepardos bowed before them. “What…the…HELL?” He shouted, before throwing up violently. One, important-looking Ktaggella flinched, looking disgusted. “…What’s happening goddamit?” The Lepardos tried again. “Well… friend,” Oramis started, “You died. I brought you back. You’re to do what I say now.” The Lepardos hardly believed him… “riiight…And I’m the king of Sheba” Oramis sighed, but then glimpsed at Torcha entering the spacecraft. He did not speak up, and decided to see what comes out of this. He then looked at the Lepardos. “Allow me to prove my point, King of Sheba. See that island of earth?” He pointed, “Do a back flip of of it.” The Lepardos looked irritated, but before taking any notice, he found himself jumping off the island, onto the mud. It broke under him, leaving a hole. A few bubbles of air appeared. He swam out, before cursing loudly. “Oram, stop this nonesense!” One of the Ktaggella shouted, “This might be no-man’s land, but we still don’t take kindly to your stunts!” Oramis slightly raised his hand, and the Ktaggella roared in pain. A few others took out different weapons, mainly swords. “Enough of this foolishness! Kill the Necromancer!!” Maximillian roared smugly. Oramis decided to run for it- over fifty Ktaggella were a bit too much to fight. As he streached out his skeletal wings, a few arrows came flying by. Everything was fuzzy. All Rufus could make out was that the cockpit was dimly lit with red light, and electrical charges jumped across the cock-pit every so often. This was a hostile place. Rufus heard something coming near. He didn’t do anything. The triple-titanium blast door would protect him from predators…hopefully. But something was knocking on the door. So it wasn’t a preadator…but he wasn’t going to waste his energy on Opening the door. Rufus looked over at a console, and noticed for the first time he was partly submerged in water…of something. Good thing the consoles are water proof…to a certain degree. The console read “Power Core: offline Blast Doors: jammed Core power levels: CRITICAL” This was unusual. Of all the problems, the core was critical. Rufus decided to ignore this however, thinking the power would be drained from the constant electricity running past him in the form of fatal charges. “Hello, anybody in there…?” He heard a high-pitched voice, “ ‘Lady’ Oram sends me… um, to investigate…” It was strange. The voice spoke in the Lepardolian language. “In…here!” Shouted rufus. Suddenly, his robotic eye began firing electricity. It must have got water in it. “Hurry please…!” Rufus spoke again. “Right…” Was the only thing he heard. A minute passed, and Rufus suddenly saw the door go slightly red. Someone was melting through the door. This could take a while… The Robotic eye began firing more electricity all over the place. “Hurry! This eye is NOT gonna be pretty when it goes boom!” Rufus shouted over the sound of the electricity flying everywhere. Another few minutes passed bfore a big hole started appearing. Rufus was shocked to see what was working on getting in… A Ktaggella! “Come any closer and…I’ll get this eye to kill you using…The laser!” The Ktaggella ignored him, and quikly grabbed him. It had some difficulty picking him up. Hissing loudly, it pulled him out the spaceship. As it laid him on the grass, he was surprised that the eye exploded… Torcha looked at the unconscious Lepardos. She had enough knowledge about them to know that it was male. The robotic eye implant just exploded. Not pleasant. She quickly took out a small pen. Putting an ink cartrige in, she drew a complicated rune on his neck. Quickly uttering a few words, she was relieved to see that he was now breathing Oxygen. “Well, well. Making friends.” She suddenly heard the cold voice of Oramis, “We have to run. Good news is that you won’t have to marry old Maxie. Bad news- the Ktaggella want me dead.” Torcha wanted to reject the opportunity, but decided to run. That might provide some more time to cancel the wedding. “Right. Can you carry that guy?” She pointed at the Lepardos. “I’d rather throw it in the water. Why do you need it?” Torcha was irritated, “Well, he might not be the enemy. We should find out first.” Several hours later, Rufus’s robotic eye finally worked, even though he was still knocked out. It made a whirring sounds, and Rufus could see That he was being carried by another Ktaggella, But he could still see the one who found him. Urging his eye to look straight up, he saw that it was night. It was midday when his eye…malfunctioned. Rufus decided to keep quiet, and maybe learn something while being ‘K,Od’. “So, what do we do with this… thing when it wakes up?” Said the Ktaggella that carried him. His voice had something… unnatural about it. It seemed to go right through him. It hurt… “If he’s an enemy, we hand him to the right authorities. If he values no sides, we help him get home.” Rufus pondered at this, and decided to remain lifeless. He was enjoying getting carried around. Suddenly, he noticed a pair of Ktaggellan eyes staring at him from a distance. They seemed to watch him. He looked away, and suddenly found himself being pinned to the ground, a dagger at his throat. “He was awake for quite a while now.” The Ktaggella said calmly. Rufus could understand their language thanks to the robotic implant, which was only half-working at this point. Most of the functions made the eye explode. “What are your intensions?!” He spoke up, snarling. Rufus lay still, pretending to still be knocked out. “You won’t trick me. Get up, or I’ll snap your arm!” Rufus thought how to get out of this without killing himself. He noticed that the Ktaggella had a knife held in his belt. Rufus got an idea: use his eye’s torch. Ktaggella are susceptible to strong light. They follow the light, and only look at the light. He flashed the built-in light from his eye. He stopped, and loosened his grip. Rufus had time to get up, and look who else was around. Two more Ktaggella. One female, and one wearing a black robe, that only allowed to glowing eyes to look through. Rufus looked back at his attacker, and shined his eye-light at its brightest mode. The female was also dazed, and the other one simply snapped his fingers, and Rufus felt immense pain. It felt like nothing he experienced before… He was losing it… The pain suddenly stopped… Chapter "Wake up, m'boy." Rufus opened his eyes. The male Ktaggella was standing above him. Rufus realised that all his limbs were covered with thick ice that stopped him moving. "Now, there are a few question we would like to ask you..." The Ktaggella pulled his hood. Rufus was shocked to see a pale face with glowing eyes. Flesh was stiripping off, and dark black muscles were visible. When the monsterous creature spoke, blackened gums were visible. Rufus was about to try to fire his laser again, but was greeted with ENERGY RESTORASTION IN PLACE>>>NOT ENOUGH ENERGY. The Undead stepped on Rufus' chest. "If you don't start talking, you'll join Mittens... Now, what are your intentions? What business do you have here?" "Right. First, I got shot down. Second, I was on a flight test. Happy?" "Happy indeed. I would rather you paid me a little more respet.! The Undead looked concerned. He walked out of Rufus' sight. Two minutes passed, and he returned, this time with the female. "What are your plans?" She asked. "...emm...Im not really sure. This wasnt part of my origonal plan to be honest." Replied Rufus "If you wish, we can help you get back home. Only if you come with us." Rufus thought for a minute. This sounded like the best thing to do at the moment...mabye he will learn something. "Very well." The ice shattered, and the Lepardos got up. There was another Ktaggella, wearing leather, and the Lepardos guard that travlled with him. "This is Kawa'n Abunga." The leather-bound Ktaggella stayed still. "Oramis" The Undead bowed down, mockingly, before pointing at the Lepardos, and stating that his name's 'Mittens' Ignoring Oramis, the female introduced herself, Torcha Oram. "Right, now that thats outta the way..." Said Rufus, before hearing a loud whirring sound.... Torcha looked around, trying to listen. Only chirping of the jungle creatures was to be heard. The mob might have stopped chasing them. Suddenly, the whirring sound was heard. Rufus' robotic eye suddenly sprouted four mini robotic arms, and appeared to start fixing the heavily damaged eye-brain implant. "Finally!" said Rufus. Mittens the Undead Minion looked annoyed as he was told it's time to walk on. "One of these days... I'll slit your throat..." Oramis look amused, but took flight shortly after. Rufus had travel on Torcha's back. Lookign slightly grumpy, he stayed silent throughout the journey, despite the whirring. "There's a large Druish sanctuary nearby. We'll take refuge there. What we'll do afterwards, I have no idea." Torcha said. Rufus was wondering what was the deal with 'Mittens'. He hardly knew a bit about the guard in the first place. "Hey, 'Mittens'." said Rufus in Leopardolian. The Lepardos looked at him. He obviously didn't undearstand a word Rufus said. He tried again, using the Ktagel'Ou language. "Yes...?" The Undead Lepardos said "em...Whats it like being undead?" Rufus asked. "If you dislike eating, drinking, breathing and sleeping, then it's great..." He was obviously depressed over the sad fact. "Oh....right." Rufus replied, seeing that he may have annoyed 'Mittens'. The unfortunate Lepardos continued his silent meditation. Maybe there would be a way to take the Undead to Lepardolia with him. Rufus tried to lie to himself that there had to be a way to bring him back to life. Suddenly, a message appeared to his left. WATERPROOFING REPAIRED. Rufus silently cheered. Now he couldn't get killed by water. Chapter They finally reached a small camp. Tents were scattered all over the island of earth. Then Rufus saw a bizzare sight. Tall tree creatures were scattered around the camp. Rufus never heard of those... Oramis and his minion also stared with wonder. One of the trees gave Oramis a strange look, before pointing at him. "This abomination is not getting anywhere NEAR our camp. If it came near us without you, Torcha- friend of the Druids, we'd kill it on the spot." Oramis looked offended, but quickly reponded. "Now, now. There are only six of you, and any Necromancer could make firewood of of you, my heler friends. And I did not have any intention of coming anywhere near you..." The trees showed Oramis that he can stay far from the camp, but within sight. "What are they?" Rufus whisperered to Torcha. She explained that Druids of all races apply the Ent form to unite themselves, and set their physical differences back. "Wouldn't changing into a tree be...painful? I don't imagine you go 'pop', and you're a tree." questioned Rufus. One of the tree-like creatures looked Rufus in the face. "I used to be a Lepardos... And any sort of metamorphosis doesn't cause physical pain. The many shape-changing spells absorb all the pain." The conversation was interupted by a small, hunched, chameleon-like creature- Rufus' flying instructor! "Ah. Hi'ere, kid." He waved at Rufus, "'em Treents took g'd care o'me, init." Rufus was glad the instructor was ok. "Welcome, friends of the Order! Such a tragedy brought us together... I'm Spludovichnof Rabrokonorm" The Camelio stuck out a hand. It had four fingers- two normal, long fingers, and two thumbs on the opposite side. Rufus introduced himself, and shook Splutovich's hand, "Is it ok if I call you 'Splut'?" A few minutes later, the Trents invited the group for dinner. Torcha, Splut and Rufus all sat around a rude stone table. Oramis was laying on the grass around 200 meters away, looking into the sky. Kawa'n was nowhere to be seen. They were offered some chewy, sweet taffy-like substance. Both Splut and Torcha tucked aright in. Forgetting table manners, they got the chewing large bits of the sweet taffy. With all her teeth stuck together, Torcha mumbled something that sounded as if she wanted to encourage Rufus to try some. Cautiously, he had a bite, and found it delicious. "Shmuk tree sap." He was told by one of the Trents. Surprisingly enough, the sap seemed to fill him up quickly. It was time to take a nap. Splut dag around in a box marked with a purple symbol. Rufus identified it as the Order of the Deanus mark. The box was only to serve members of the Order who took refugee at the Druid camp. there was a stack of boxes marked with a golden letter. It possibly ment 'U' in Human English. The United Trading Pact had acces to those. Splut dag out a long instrument. It looked like a banjo with a longer neck. It had three chords coming along the neck, and a few small lever by the sides. Splut strummed the chords. He obviously knew what he was doing. Soon after, he was playing a happy tune. Rufus was tiered, and didn't pay close attention to it. He wondered what will happen next. He wondered... Chapter Rufus woke up laying next to Torcha. She was still asleep. Splut was laying near the bottom of the teepee. Rufus couldn't tell if he was asleep- his large eyes were open. They were even moving around. The Lepardos managed to crawl out of the tent. He realised there was an enemy nearby. He saw an armoured creature sitting at the table. It was a smooth-skinned mammal. A Human. The Human was just sitting, chewing on some Shmuk sap. Rufus approached him with caution, all his claws sticking out. The Human turned around, and said something in an alien language. English, probably. "What are your intentions, Human?" Rufus asked in Common Camellio. The Human looked at Rufus. "I am a rightful Palladin, aking refuge at this Druid camp. I mean no harm to your kind." This was good. But it also ment Oramis and so-called Mittens were in danger. The Lepardos managed to walk to where Oramis was. He was now sitting down, reading a book. "What is it?" He asked, not looking away from his book. "There's a Palladin nearby!" Rufus called. Oramis gently put his book down, and smiled an evil grin. "Should have told me right away" The Undead flapped his wings, and within a few seconds was at the camp. As soon as he stepped in, the Palladin stood up. "Gath'Garmush the Unstopable. We finally meet." Oramis bowed down mockingly. "There's a large bounty on your head you know. For years we have tried, yet failed to vanquish you." Oramis remained calm, "Hence my title, Human. You know, a lot of Undead are of your species." The Palladin started losing his temper, "Perhaps we should leave this peaceful sanctuary?" The two enemies slowly stepped outside the camp. "Let's make this a honorable fight... If you beleive in Honour." Oramis nodded, but before the Paladin could speak again, the Undead launched at the Human. The Paladin blocked the deadly claw. Oramis smiled. "...As you were saying...?" The Undead packed another blow aiming at the face, this time with a bony fist. The Human took the punch silently. He spat some blood, and seemed to begin casting a spell. His blade started glowing with light. For the first time, Oramis looked away. The Paladin saw his weakness, and swang his sword. Oramis quickly threw a bold of some substance in his face. The Substance seemed to glow... with darkness. The Paladin roared in pain. He just managed to stay standing. His musles seemed to tense. Sweat wa slowly pouring down his face. Oramis also stood still, seemingly trying his best to maintain the curse. Suddenly the Paladin made a quick motion with his hand. Oramis was knocked back. Surprisingly enough, he got up. Smoke appeared to come off his chest. His robe was still in one piece, but now a dark grey liquid was pouring through. "Say goodbye to the cruel world, abomination." The Palladin swang his blade, aiming for Oramis' neck. Doging, Oramis appeared to make a thumbs-up. He launched another bolt, this time a larger one. Unlike the previous one, this one burst upon hitting the Human's face. He groaned, covering his eyes. "Gath'Garmush remains unstopable." Oramis gave the Paladin one final kick. The Human fell through the thin mud. Water spalashed in all directions. "Now, Rufus. Nobody needs to know there's a body at the bottom of the marshes. Also, I doubt anyone will be interested in my real name." "Why'd you give yourself a different name? To be untrackable or something?" asked Rufus, clearly interested that someone had given themselves two names. "Oramis is a chosen name- everyone sees Gath'Garmush as a maniac who corrupted an entire tribe with Undeath. A maniac who killed a large party of beloved Paladins. Noone would trust Gath'Garmush, so they can trust Oramis instead. Now, I must go." Oramis flew off. Rufus realised that Torcha just woke up, so he walked to say hello. Throughout the morning, nothing eventful happened. Oramis wasn't mentioned. "Sooo...em, I was talking with some...magic user, and he made it sound like a pretty destructive force...is that true?" Rufus asked Torcha "Indeed it is. If you can harness enough power, you're able to controll energy itself. It's useful." "Is it possible to learn it, then?" Torcha thought for a moment, "Well, yes. The theory can be difficult, but the practice is really easy. Why, do you wish to learn?" Rufus liked the idea. "Yes!" he exclaimed. Without an answer, Torcha dag around in another box, and found a book. "No matter what language you speak, the runes will become clear for you." Rufus opened the book, and took a look inside. For the first few seconds, the pages were full of alien runes, but the writing soon turned to Lepardolian. 'Chapter 1: The Theory Your mind power is a force of its own. It is more powerful than anything you encountered before. First, you need to be aware of it' Rufus kept reading, and soon believed in what the book recomended. Rufus' mind could alter the laws of physics. With some belief and will power, he could create Fireballs, and conjure desired objects. He read on. A few hours passed, and the Lepardos started understanding Magic. The next step was to cast a 'Blank'- an empty spell which can be powered-up and cast as any desired spell. Rufus' mind could do it... He could channel physical energies... And it was no use. It must be possible. Many Magi could do this, and nothing made them any better than Rufus. "Torcha?" he called, "Can you help me...?" The Ktaggella aproached Rufus, and took at look at his book. "Well, maybe you could imagine this as such: Your mind can power a large gear. All you have to do is get the second gear in place, and your essence will do the rest itself. One thing powers the next." He did just that. If he put his mind to it, he was bound to achieve it. Chapter Torcha heard a loud roar. She looked up, to see a black, panther-like creture. Wings grew out of its' front legs. As it landed, she was surprised to see Oramis riding it. "500 coppers and 360 tins. My own Prowless." Oramis stated gladly. He patted the panther. "I hope Rudolf there likes to keep it same-species. Otherwise, we might have a problem" The Prowless are close cusins of the Lepardos. The both originated from Lepardolia, but the Prowless were introduced as mounts around the galaxy. "Where did you get that kind of money?" Torcha demanded, "I only have 300 coppers and 248 tins at the moment" Suddenly, Rufus ran up to the scene. "I've done it! I feel the magic in my hand!" He announced. Oramis looked at Rufus, and suddenly a burning bll of dark fire errupted. Rufus shouted, obviously in pain, and threw it towards Torcha by accident. She could barely dodge it. "Rufus, I think you should consider picking a school of magic soon." Rufus was eager to get started soon, so he was pretty sure he could make his mind up right away. "...You can choose from Elemental magic, Shamanism, Conjuration, Battle Magic or Rune magic. Also, I don't think you're patient enough for Shamanism or Rune Magic... no offence." Rufus took a quick glance at his book. "I think... Elemental Magic is a good..." Before he ended the sentance, Splut called out, happily. "Perfect choice, friend! As a matter of fact, I know a great shop on Merva that sells artifacts especially for your school! If you're ever on a Ratched-Clunk island, you should come by!" "Can I see this?" Torcha asked, taking the book from Rufus, "Check page 337 for the Elemenal words..." Rufus stared at the runes, noticing that they were not in Lepardolian. Oddily enough, he could understand them. "Examini-No-Turini O-le-tiki-balooniki" He said, feeling power rush through his body... Suddenly, everything went dark. Chapter "The ancient spirits smile upon you..." Rufus heard a voice, his head aching. "We should get straight to training. And since I know all the spells you'll soon master, it'll be easy." Rufus saw Torcha sitting beside him. She was holding a small ball of fire. "This one is vital to any Elemental. Just think fire, and this will be very straightforward." Rufus began concentrating, but soon after, one of the Treents approached them. "We managed to find a pathway to your home... Hurry!" The Lepardos looked dumbstruck. Torcha explained that a Portal to Lepardolia has been opened, and will not hold much longer." They followed the Druid. Walking a few hundred meters, they found three other Druids standing around a brightly glowing sphere. Oramis was standing nearby too. "I'm coming too..." He announced. "This is so... Sudden... Where should I train?" Rufus felt a mixture of joy and dissapointment. Chapter "I guess this is goodbye." Torcha said, "I will stay with the Druids, and help them out." "I have plans for this barren planet..." Oramis cherished the idea. "Umm... Thanks for everything..." Rufus started, before being grabbed by Oramis' cold hands. The Undead jumped into the sphyre, pulling Rufus along. PART 2 Three years have passed. Gath'Garmush the Unstopable has set up a town of 80. Rufus has mastered Ice magic, showing off by raising an Ice-Citadel to teach more...unsophisticated Leopardos magic. "Greetings." A Lepardolian guard greeted the town 'peecekeepers'. "Your kind not welcome" A ghoul slurred. "Well, to be fair, YOUR not very welcome! If the Leopardolia-" A tall-standing Undead approached the Ghoul. He muttered an order, and the creature crawled away. "Excuse the peecekeeper. Raising corpses that lay burried on your graveyards is not an easy task... Well, what is it?" The guard took a unrolled a paper, "Paperwork." The Undead nodded. "The Unstopable is busy. I will call Mru'Garmush." The Undead Human walked away. The Guard looked around the town. Buildings put together by mindless Ghouls were scattered around the sickly green soil. A few dead Eutailyptus were covered by a cobweb-like substance. Metre-high mushrooms seemed to be the only healthy things in the town. The Lepardos was given a few evil looks from various Undead peacekeepers and townsfolk. "What?" Came a booming voice. Mru'Garmush, the second-in-command leader was standing before the Guard. The corruption of Undeath has fully taken over his soul. "Your pityful laws do not concern us." "Actually, they do. Remember what planet you are on" The half-rotten Lepardos let out a rasping laugh. "Luckily, if I sign your little paper, your people will fight out enemies." Mru'Garmush grabbed a pen held by the Guard, and scribbled a crude signature on the contract. "Now, kindly, get out my town before I release the Ghouls!" The Leoparos quickly ran out. Rufus was staring boredly from his room. The ocean streatched for miles. In the distance, he could see the Plasmas. A giant tornado that was made from plasma. It circled the planet, and never seemed to dissapate. Two students were magically fighting eachother in the background, but Rufus wasnt half interested in magic when he could see the Plasmas. It did look epic after all. The Lepardos did not like the activities of Gla'Vaneza a single bit. The only Shattered Legion village on Lepardolia did a good job turning graveyards into 'Minion Factories'- as the King called it. The village got their last chance, and the proud leaders turned to attracting fellow Undead from all over the continent. The King barely accepted the despised faction from having a camp on his beloved planet, yet he still felt sympathy for the homeless Undead.